This weekend’s films

‘Odyssey’: thrills and spectacle in the most eagerly awaited film of the year

Christopher Nolan’s new feature film is coming to our cinemas; following the success of Oppenheimer, he has chosen to reinterpret Homer

by Andrea Chimento

17 July 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The most eagerly awaited and talked-about film of the year is finally in cinemas: Christopher Nolan’s *Odyssey* hits cinemas after many long months marked by discussions, controversy (over certain casting choices and the use of modern language) and wide-ranging debates based solely on trailers, images and scant information regarding one of the most ambitious projects of recent years.

After all, it could hardly be otherwise when the person behind the camera is a filmmaker who is always the subject of much discussion, often dividing audiences but always maintaining a consistent vision and an extremely personal poetic style.

Following the huge success of the powerful “Oppenheimer” (a triumph at the box office and at the Oscars, where it won seven statuettes), Nolan has chosen to reinterpret Homer’s work in his own way and, on closer inspection, his Ulysses contains several psychological elements that curiously echo the main character of his previous film: Nolan’s Ulysses is a deeply tormented anti-hero who, for long stretches, does not really want to return home, tormented by guilt at having sparked a war (the idea of the Trojan Horse, ever-present throughout the narrative) which acts as the fuse for a series of disastrous consequences that could lead to the destruction of the world as he has known it.

However, it is not just this aspect – reminiscent of *Oppenheimer* – that allows us to analyse the extent to which the director’s entire artistic vision is evident in this beautiful film: in fact, several of his earlier works (such as *Inception* and *Interstellar*, amongst others) can be reinterpreted as further ‘odysseys’, with protagonists striving by every means to return home after a long journey and numerous trials to overcome.

Le immagini di “Odissea”
Photogallery7 foto

Believing in cinema

‘The Odyssey’ is also an epic poem that lends itself perfectly to the director’s characteristic use of time shifts, constantly alternating between moments from Ulysses’s journey before reaching a lengthy concluding section set in Ithaca and his reunion with his loved ones.

Nolan’s touch is also palpable in the choice of extraordinary special effects with a vintage feel, which characterise the many monstrous creatures Ulysses must face along his journey: Polyphemus’s scene is particularly remarkable, but even more successful is the sequence with Circe, in which the director opts for a horror-film style that is truly unsettling and fascinating at the same time.

Although there are some obvious concessions to spectacle and pure entertainment, *Odyssey* is nonetheless a successful and highly intelligent arthouse blockbuster, brimming with the talent of one of the most influential directors in contemporary cinema (his other works include *Memento*, *The Prestige*, *The Dark Knight* and *Dunkirk*).

The controversy and debate surrounding *Odissea* may well continue for some time, but what is certain is that the film is definitely worth watching and is sure to make an impression, not least because of its remarkable ability to evoke powerful emotions throughout the entire narrative.

Finally, it is worth highlighting the excellent work of the entire cast and a soundtrack that blends perfectly with the stunning visuals on screen.

Nolan continues to believe in the power of cinema, in its language and its history, and – in this case more than ever, with a film that is so complex and daring, and which simply must be seen in a cinema under the best possible technical conditions – he seems to be asking the same question of all of us, the audience: do you still believe in cinema?